CHAPTER XIII
READING THE SIGNS
On the third day the trail of the Great Bear was well among the ranges andTayoga calculated that they could not be many hours behind him, but all theevidence, as they saw it, showed conclusively that he was going toward LakeChamplain.
"It seems likely to me," said the Onondaga, "that he left the rangers toseek us, and that Rogers meanwhile would move eastward. Having learned insome way or other that he could not find us, he will now follow the rangerswherever they may go."
"And we will follow him wherever he goes," said Robert.
An hour later the Onondaga uttered an exclamation, and pointed to thetrail. Another man coming from the south had joined Willet. The traces werequite distinct in the grass, and it was also evident from the character ofthe footsteps that the stranger was white.
"A wandering hunter or trapper? A chance meeting?" said Robert.
Tayoga shook his head.
"Then a ranger who was out on a scout, and the two are going on together tojoin Rogers?"
"Wrong in both cases," he said. "I know who joined the Great Bear, as wellas if I saw him standing there in the footprints he has made. It was not awandering hunter and it was not a ranger. You will notice, Dagaeoga, thatthese traces are uncommonly large. They are not slender like the footprintsof the Great Bear, but broad as well as long. Why, I should know anywherein the world what feet made them. Think, Dagaeoga!"
"I don't seem to recall."
"Willet is a great hunter and scout, among the bravest of men, skillful onthe trail, and terrible in battle, but the man who is now with him is allthese also. A band attacking the two would have no easy task to conquerthem. You have seen both on the trail in the forest and you have seen bothin battle. Try hard to think, Dagaeoga!"
"Black Rifle!"
"None other. It is far north for him, but he has come, and he and the GreatBear were glad to see each other. Here they stood and shook hands."
"There is not a possible sign to indicate such a thing."
"Only the certain rules of logic. Once again I bid you use your mind. Wesee with it oftener than with the eye. White men, when they are goodfriends and meet after a long absence, always shake hands. So my mind tellsme with absolute certainty that the Great Bear and Black Rifle did so. Thenthey talked together a while. Now the eye tells me, because here arefootsteps in a little group that says so, and then they walked on,fearless of attack. It is an easy trail to follow."
He announced in a half hour that they were about to enter an old camp ofthe two men.
"Any child of the Hodenosaunee could tell that it is so," he said, "becausetheir trails now separate. Black Rifle turns off to the right, and theGreat Bear goes to the left. We will follow Black Rifle first. He wanderedabout apparently in aimless fashion, but he had a purpose nevertheless. Hewas looking for firewood. We need not follow the trail of the Great Bear,because his object was surely the same. They were so confident of theirunited strength that they built a fire to cook food and take away thecoldness of the night. Although Great Bear had no food it was not necessaryfor him to hunt, because Black Rifle had enough for both. The fact that theGreat Bear did not go away in search of game proves it.
"I think we will find the remains of their fire just beyond the low hill onthe crest of which the bushes grow so thick. Once more it is mind and noteye that tells me so, Dagaeoga. They would build a fire near because theyhad begun to look for firewood, which is always plentiful in the forest,and they would surely choose the dip which lies beyond the hill, becausethe circling ridge with its frieze of bushes would hide the flames.Although sure of their strength they did not neglect caution."
They passed over the hill, and found the dead embers of the fire.
"After they had built it Black Rifle sat on that side and the Great Bearon this," said Tayoga, "and while they were getting it ready the Great Bearconcluded to add something on his own account to the supper."
"What do you mean, Tayoga? Is this mind or eye?"
"A combination of the two. The Great Bear is a wonderful marksman, as weknow, and while sitting on the log that he had drawn up before the fire, heshot his game out of the tall oak on our right."
"This is neither eye nor mind, Tayoga, it is just fancy."
"No, Dagaeoga, it is mostly eye, though helped by mind. My conclusion thathe was sitting, when he pulled the trigger is mind chiefly. He would nothave drawn up the log unless he had been ready to sit down, and everythingwas complete for the supper. The Great Bear never rests until his work isdone, and he is so marvelous with the rifle that it was not necessary forhim to rise when he fired. Wilderness life demands so much of the body thatthe Great Bear never makes needless exertion. There mind works, Dagaeoga,but the rest is all eye. The squirrel was on the curved bough of the oak,the one that projects toward the north."
"You assume a good deal to say that it was a squirrel and surely mind noteye would select the particular bough on which he sat."
"No, Dagaeoga, eye served the whole purpose. All the other branches arealmost smothered in leaves, but the curved one is nearly bare. It is onlythere that the casual glance of the Great Bear, who was not at that timeseeking game, would have caught sight of the squirrel. Also, he must havebeen there, otherwise his body could not have fallen directly beneath it,when the bullet went through his head."
"Now tell me how your eye knows his body fell from the bough."
"Ah, Dagaeoga! Your eye was given to you for use as mine was given to me,then you should use it; in the forest you are lost unless you do. It was myeye that saw the unmistakable sign, the sign from which all the restfollowed. Look closely and you will detect a little spot of red on thegrass just beneath the bare bough. It was blood from the squirrel."
"You cannot be sure that it was a squirrel. It might have been a pigeon orsome other bird."
"That, O, Dagaeoga, would be the easiest of all, even for you, if you couldonly use your eyes, as I bid you. Almost at your feet lies a slender bonethat cannot be anything but the backbone of a squirrel. Beyond it are twoother bones, which came from the same body. We know as certainly that itwas a squirrel as we know that the Great Bear ate first a wild goose, andthen a wild duck. But it is a good camp that those two great men made, and,as the night is coming, we will occupy it."
They relighted the abandoned fire, warmed their food and ate, and Robertwas once more devoutly glad that he had kept the heavy buffalo robe. Deepfog came over the mountain soon after dark, and, after a while, a finecold, and penetrating rain was shed from the heart of it. They kept thefire burning and wrapped, Tayoga in his blankets, and, Robert in the robe,crouched before it. Then they drew the logs that the Great Bear and BlackRifle had left, in such position that they could lean their backs againstthem, and slept, though not the two at the same time. They agreed that itwas wise to keep watch and Robert was sentinel first.
Tayoga, supported by the log, slept soundly, the flames illuminating hisbronze face and showing the very highest type of the Indian. Robert satopposite, his rifle across his knees, but covered by his blanket to protectit from the fine rain, which was not only cold but insidious, trying toinsert itself beneath his clothing and chill his body. But he kept himselfcovered so well that none reached him, and the very wildness of hissurroundings increased his sense of intense physical comfort.
He did not stir, except now and then to put a fresh chunk of wood on thefire, and the red blaze between Tayoga and himself was for a time thecenter of the world. The cold, white fog was rolling up everywhere thickand impenetrable, and the fine rain, like a heavy dew that was distilledfrom it, fell incessantly. Robert knew that it was moving up the valleysand clothing all the peaks and ridges. He knew, too, that it would hidethem from their enemies and his sense of comfort grew with the knowledge.But his conviction that they were safe did not make him relax caution, and,since eye was useless in the fog, he made extreme call upon ear.
It seemed to him that the fog was a splendid conductor of sound. It brou
ghthim the rustling of the foliage, the moaning of the light wind through theravines, and, at last, another sound, sharp, distinct, a discordant note inthe natural noises of the wilderness, which were always uniform andharmonious. He heard it a second time, to his right, down the hill, and hewas quite sure that it indicated the presence of man, man who in realitywas near, but whom the fog took far away. The vapors, however, would lift,then man might come close, and he felt that it was his part to discover whoand what he was.
Still wrapped in the buffalo robe, he rose and took a few steps from thefire. Tayoga did not stir, and he was proud that his tread had been withoutnoise. Beyond the rim of firelight, he paused and listening again heard theclank twice, not very loud but coming sharp and definite as before throughthe vapory air. He parted the bushes very carefully and went down the sideof a ravine, the wet boughs and twigs making no noise as they closed upafter his passage.
But his progress was very slow, purposely so, as he knew that any mistakeor accident might be fatal, and he intended that no fault of his shouldprecipitate such a crisis. Once or twice he thought of going back, deeminghis a foolish quest, lost in a wilderness of bushes and blinding fog, butthe sharp, clear clank stirred his purpose anew, and he went on down theslope, until he saw a red glow in the heart of the fog. Then he sank downamong the bushes and listened with intentness. Presently the faint hum ofvoices came to his ear, and he was quite sure that many men were not faraway.
He resumed his slow advance, but now he was glad the bushes were soakedwith water, as they did not crackle or snap with the passage of his body,and the luminous glow in front of him broadened and deepened steadily. Nearthe bottom of a deep valley he stopped and from his covert saw where greatfires had driven the fog away. Around the fires were many warriors, some ofthem sleeping in their blankets, while others were eating prodigiously,after their manner. Rifles and muskets were stacked in French fashion andthe clank, clank that Robert had heard had been made by the warriors asthey put up their weapons.
Many were talking freely and seemed to rejoice in the food and fires. Itwas Robert's surmise that they had arrived but recently and were weary.Their numbers were large, they certainly could not be less than four orfive hundred, and his experience was great enough now to tell him that halfof them, at least, were Canadian Indians. All were in war paint, and theyhad an abundance of arms.
Robert's eager eye sought Tandakora, but did not find him. He had no doubt,however, that this great body of warriors was moving against Rogers and hisrangers, and that it would soon be joined by the Ojibway chief. Tandakora,anxious for revenge upon the Great Bear and the Mountain Wolf, would bewilling to leave Montcalm for a while if he thought that by doing so hecould achieve his purpose. His gaze wandered from the warriors to thestacked rifles and muskets, and he saw that many of them were of Englishor American make, undoubtedly spoil taken at the capture of Oswego. Hisheart swelled with anger that the border should have its own weapons turnedagainst it by the foe.
It did not take him long to see enough. It was a powerful force, equippedto strike, and now he was more anxious than ever to overtake Willet. Thefog was still thick and wet, distilling the fine rain, but he had forgottendiscomfort, and, turning back on his path, he sought the dip in which hehad left Tayoga sleeping. He felt a certain pride that it had been hisfortune to discover the band, and, as he had marked carefully the way bywhich he had come, it was not a difficult task to retrace his steps.
The Onondaga was still sleeping, his back against the log, but he awokeinstantly when Robert touched him gently on the shoulder.
"What is it, Dagaeoga?" he whispered. "You have seen something! Your facetells me so!"
"My face tells you the truth," replied Robert. "There is a valley only afew hundred yards from us, and, in it, are about four hundred warriors,armed for battle. All the signs indicate that they are going eastward insearch of our friends."
"You have done well, Dagaeoga. You have used both eye and mind. WasTandakora there?"
"No, but I'm convinced he soon will be."
"It appears likely. They think, perhaps, they are strong enough toannihilate the rangers."
"Maybe they are, unless the rangers are warned. We ought to move at once."
"But the fog is too thick. We could not tell which way we were going. Wemust not lose the trail of the Great Bear and Black Rifle, and, if the foglifts, we can regain it in the morning, going ahead of the war band."
"And then the warriors may pursue us."
"What does it matter, if we keep well ahead of them and overtake the GreatBear and Black Rifle, who are surely going toward the rangers? We will putout the fire, Dagaeoga, and stay here. The fog protects us. Now, you sleepand I will watch."
His calmness was reassuring, and it was true that the fog was an almostcertain protection, while it lasted. They smothered the fire carefully, andthen, Robert was sufficient master of his nerves, to go to sleep, wrappedin the invaluable buffalo robe. The Onondaga kept vigilant watch. His ownear, too, heard the occasional sound made by human beings in the valleybelow, but he did not stir from his place. He had absolute confidence inRobert's report, and he would not take any unnecessary risk.
An hour or two before dawn a wind began to rise, and Tayoga knew by feelingrather than sight that the fog was beginning to thin. If the wind held, itwould all blow away by sunrise, and the rain with it. He awakened Robert atonce.
"I think we would better move now," he said. "We shall soon be able to seeour way, and a good start ahead of the war band is important."
They made a northward curve, passing around the valley, in which the campof the warriors lay, and, when the sun showed its first luminous edge overthe horizon, they were several miles ahead. The steady wind had carried allthe fog and rain to the southward, but the forest was still wet anddripping.
"And now," said Tayoga, "we must pick up anew the trail of the Great Bearand Black Rifle. We are sure they were continuing east, and by ranging backand forth from north to south and from south to north we can find it."
It was a full two hours before they discovered it, leading up a narrowgorge, and Robert grew anxious lest the war band was already on their owntraces, which the warriors were sure to see in time. So they hastened theirown pursuit and very soon came to a thicket in which the two redoubtablescouts had passed the night. The trail leading from it was comparativelyfresh and Tayoga was hopeful that they might overtake them before the nextsunset.
"They do not hurry," he said. "The Great Bear has been telling Black Rifleof us, and now and then it was their thought to go back into the west tomake another hunt for us. My certainty about it is based on nothing in thetrail. It is just mind once more. It is exactly the idea that a valiant andpatient man like the Great Bear would have, and it would appeal too, to thesoul of such a great warrior as Black Rifle. But after thinking well uponit, they have decided that the search would be vain for the present, andonce more they go on, though the wish to find us puts weights on theirfeet."
Before noon they came to a place where Black Rifle shot a deer. Theuseless portions of the body that the two had left behind spoke a languagenone could fail to understand, and they were sure it was Black Rifle whohad fired the shot, because his broader footprints led to the place wherethe body had fallen.
"It proves," said Tayoga, "that the rangers are still well ahead, else twosuch wise men as the Great Bear and Black Rifle would not take the troubleto kill a deer here and carry so much weight with them. It is likely thatthe Mountain Wolf and his men are on the shores of Oneadatote itself."
All that afternoon the trail went upward higher and higher among the rangesand peaks, but the infallible eye of Tayoga never lost it for a moment.
"We will not overtake them today, as I had hoped," he said, "but we shallcertainly do so tomorrow before noon."
"And the coming night is going to offer a striking contrast to the one justpassed," said Robert. "It will be crystal clear."
"So it will, Dagaeoga, and we will seek a camp amon
g the rocks. It is bestto leave no traces for the warriors."
They traveled a long distance on the stony uplift before they stopped forthe night, and they did not build any fire, dividing the time into twowatches, each kept with great vigilance. But the pursuit which they were sosure was now on did not overtake them, and early in the morning they wereonce more on the traces of the two hunters.
"It is now sure we shall reach them before noon," said Tayoga, "but inwhat manner we shall first see them I do not know. The trail has becomewonderfully fresh. Ah, they turned suddenly from their course here, andsoon they came back to it, at a point not more than ten feet away. We neednot follow them on their loop to see where they went. We know withoutgoing. They climbed the steep little peak we see on the right, from thecrest of which they had a splendid view over an immense stretch of countrybehind us. They looked in that direction because that was the point fromwhich pursuit or danger would come. The band behind us built a fire, andthe Great Bear and Black Rifle saw its smoke. They saw the smoke becausethey could see nothing else so far behind them. After a good look, theywent on at their leisure. They had no fear. It was easy for such as they toleave the band well in the rear, if they wished."
"If they haven't changed greatly since we last saw 'em," said Robert,"they'll go all the more slowly because of the pursuit, and we may catch'em in a couple of hours. Won't Dave be surprised when he sees us?"
"It will be a pleasant surprise for him. Here, they have stopped again, andone of them climbed the tall elm for another view, while the other stoodguard by the trunk. I think, Dagaeoga, that the Great Bear and Black Riflewere beginning to think less of flight than of battle."
"You don't mean that knowing the presence of the band behind us theyintended to meet it?"
"Not to stop it, of course, but spirits such as theirs might have a desireto harm it a little, and impede its advance. In any event, Dagaeoga, weshall soon see. Here is where the climber came down, and then the two wenton, walking slowly. They walked slowly, because the traces indicate thatthey turned back often, and looked toward the point at which they had seenthe smoke rising. My mind tells me that the Great Bear thought it better tocontinue straight ahead, but that Black Rifle was anxious to linger, andget a few shots at the enemy. It is so, because the Great Bear, as we know,is naturally cautious and would wish to do what is of the most service inthe campaign, while it is always the desire of Black Rifle to injure theenemy as much as he can."
"Your reasoning seems conclusive to me."
"Did I not tell you, Dagaeoga, that you had the beginnings of a mind? Useit sedulously, and it will grow yet more."
"And the time may come when I can talk out of a dictionary as you do,Tayoga."
"Which merely proves, Dagaeoga, that those who learn a language always talkit better than those who are born to it. Ah, they have turned once more,and the trail leads again to the crest of a hill, where they will takeanother long look backward. It seems that the wishes of Black Rifle areabout to prevail. Now we are at the top of the hill, and they stood hereseveral minutes talking and moving about, as the traces show very clearly.But look, Dagaeoga, they saw something very much closer at hand than smoke.Their talk was interrupted with great suddenness, and they took to ambush.They crouched among these bushes, and you and I know they were a verydangerous pair with their rifles ready. Still, Dagaeoga, instead of theirtaking the battle to the warriors the battle was brought to them."
"You think, then, an encounter occurred?"
"I know it. They did not stay crouched here until the enemy went away, butmoved off down the hill, their course on the whole leading away from thelake. The enemy was before them, because they kept among the bushes, alwaysin the densest part of them. Here they knelt. The bent grass stems indicatethe pressure of knees. The warriors must have been very close.
"Now the trail divides. Look, Dagaeoga! Black Rifle went to the right andthe Great Bear to the left. They formed a plan to flank the enemy and toassail him from two sides. I should judge then that the warriors did notnumber more than five or six. We will follow the Great Bear, who made theslender traces, and if necessary we will come back and follow also those ofBlack Rifle. But I think we can read the full account of the contest whichmost certainly occurred from the evidence that the Great Bear left."
"You feel quite sure then that there was fighting?"
"Yes. It is not an opinion formed from the signs yet seen, but it is drawnfrom the characters of the Great Bear and Black Rifle. They would not havetaken so much care unless there was the certainty of conflict. Here theGreat Bear knelt again, and took a long look at his enemy or at least atthe place where his enemy was lying. They were coming to close quarters orhe would not have knelt and waited. Perhaps he held his fire because BlackRifle was making the wider circuit, and they meant to use their rifles atthe same time."
The Onondaga was on his own knees now, examining the faint trail intently,his eyes alight with interest.
"The event will not be delayed long," he said, "because the Great Bearstopped continually, seeking an opportunity for a shot. Here he pulled thetrigger."
He picked up a minute piece of the burned wadding of the muzzle-loadingrifle.
"The warrior at whom he fired was bound to have been in the thicket beyondthe open space," he said, "and it was there that he fell. He fell becauseat such a critical time the Great Bear would not have fired unless he wassure of his aim. We will look into the thicket"
They found several spots of blood among the bushes and at another pointabout twenty feet away they saw more.
"Here is where the warrior fell before Black Rifle's bullet," said Tayoga."He and the Great Bear must have fired almost at the same time. Undoubtedlythe warriors retreated at once, carrying their dead with them. Let us seeif they did not unite, and leave the thicket at the farthest point from ourtwo friends."
The trail was very clear at the place the Onondaga had indicated, and alsomany more red spots were there leading away toward the east.
"We will not follow them." said Tayoga, "because they do not interest usany more. They have retreated and they do not longer enter into yourcampaign and mine, Dagaeoga. We will go back and see where the left wing ofour army, that was the Great Bear, reunited with the right wing, that wasBlack Rifle."
They found the point of junction not far away, and then the deliberatetrail led once more toward Champlain, the two pursuing it several hours insilence and both noticing that it was rapidly growing fresher. At lengthTayoga stopped on the crest of a ridge and said:
"We no longer need to seek their trail, Dagaeoga, because I will now talkwith the Great Bear and Black Rifle."
"Very good, Tayoga. I am anxious to hear what you will say and how you willsay it."
A bird sang at Robert's side. It was Tayoga trilling forth a melody,wonderfully clear and penetrating, a melody that carried far up the stillvalley beyond.
"You will remember, Dagaeoga," he said, "that we have often used this callwith the Great Bear. The reply will soon come."
The two listened and Robert's heart beat hard. He owed much to Willet.Their relationship was almost that of son and father, and the two wereabout to meet after a long parting. He never doubted for a moment that theOnondaga had always read the trail aright, and that Willet was with BlackRifle in the valley below them.
Full and clear rose the song of a bird out of the dense bushes that filledthe valley. When it was finished Tayoga sang again, and the reply came asbefore. The two went rapidly down the slope and the stalwart figures ofthe hunter and Black Rifle rose to meet them. The four did not say much,but in every case the grasp of the hand was strong and long.
"I went west in search of you, Robert," said the hunter, "but I wascompelled to come back, because of the great events that are forward here.I felt, however, that Tayoga was there looking for you and would do all anynumber of human beings could do."
"He found me and rescued me," said Robert, "and what of yourself, Dave?"
"I'm attached, for the
present, to the rangers under Rogers. He's on theshores of Champlain, and he's trying to hold back a big Indian army thatmeans to march south and join Montcalm for an attack on Fort William Henryor Fort Edward."
"And there's a great Indian war band behind you, too, Dave."
"We know it. We saw their smoke. We also had an encounter with somescouting warriors."
"We know that, too, Dave. You ambushed 'em and divided your force, one ofyou going to the right and the other to the left. Two of their warriorsfell before your bullets, and then they fled, carrying their slain withthem."
"Correct to every detail. I suppose Tayoga read the signs."
"He did, and he also told me when he rescued me that you had carried thetext of the letter we took from Garay to Colonel Johnson in time, and thatthe force of St. Luc was turned back."
"Yes, the preparations for defense made an attack by him hopeless, andwhen his vanguard was defeated in the forest he gave up the plan."
They did not stop long, as they knew the great war band behind them waspressing forward, but they felt little fear of it, as they were able tomake high speed of their own, despite the weight of their packs, and forseveral days and nights they traveled over peaks and ridges, stopping onlyat short intervals for sleep. They had no sign from the band behind them,but they knew it was always there, and that it would probably unite at thelake with the force the rangers were facing.
It was about noon of a gleaming summer day when Robert, from the crest of aridge, saw once more the vast sheet of water extending a hundred andtwenty-five miles north and south, that the Indians called Oneadatote andthe white men Champlain, and around which and upon which an adventurouspart of his own life had passed. His heart beat high, he felt now that thestage was set again for great events, and that his comrades and he would,as before, have a part in the war that was shaking the Old World as well asthe New.
In the afternoon they met rangers and before night they were in the camp ofRogers, which included about three hundred men, and which was pitched in astrong position at the edge of the lake. The Mountain Wolf greeted themwith great warmth.
"You're a redoubtable four," he said, "and I could wish that instead ofonly four I was receiving four hundred like you."
He showed intense anxiety, and soon confided his reasons to Willet.
"You've brought me news," he said, "that a big war band is coming from thewest, and my scouts had told me already that a heavy force is to thenorthward, and what is worst of all, the northern force is commanded by St.Luc. It seems that he did not go south with Montcalm, but drew off an armyof both French and Indians for our destruction. He remembers his naval andland defeat by us and naturally he wants revenge. He is helped, too, by thecomplete command of the lake, that the French now hold. Since we've beenpressed southward we've lost Champlain."
"And of course St. Luc is eager to strike," said Willet. "He can recoverhis lost laurels and serve France at the same time. If we're swept awayhere, both the French and the Indians will pour down in a flood from Canadaupon the Province of New York."
Robert did not hear this talk, as he was seeking in the ranger camp therepose that he needed so badly. He had brought with him some remnants offood and the great buffalo robe that Tayoga had secured for him with somuch danger from the Indian village. Now he put down the robe, heaved amighty sigh of relief and said to the Onondaga:
"I'm proud of myself as a carrier, Tayoga, but I think I've had enough. I'mglad the trail has ended squarely against the deep waters of LakeChamplain."
"And yet, Dagaeoga, it is a fine robe."
"So it is. I should be the last to deny it, but now that we're with therangers I mean to carry nothing but my arms and ammunition. To appreciatewhat it is to be without burdens you must have borne them."
The hospitable rangers would not let the two youths do any work for thepresent, and so they took a luxurious bath in the lake, which theycommanded as far as the bullets from their rifles could reach. Theyrejoiced in the cool waters, after their long flight through thewilderness.
"It's almost worth so many days and nights of danger to have this," saidRobert, swimming with strong strokes.
"Aye, Dagaeoga, it is splendid," said the Onondaga, "but see that you donot swim too far. Remember that for the time Oneadatote belongs to Onontio.We had it, but we have lost it."
"Then we'll get it back again," said Robert courageously. "Champlain is toofine a lake to lose forever. Wait until I've had a big sleep. Then my brainwill be clear, and I'll tell how it ought to be done."
The two returned to land, dressed, and slept by the campfire.
CHAPTER XIV
ST. LUC'S REVENGE
When Robert awoke from a long and deep sleep he became aware, at once, thatthe anxious feeling in the camp still prevailed. Rogers was in closeconference with Willet, Black Rifle and several of his own leaders beside asmall fire, and, at times, they looked apprehensively toward the north orwest, a fact indicating to the lad very clearly whence the danger wasexpected. Most of the scouts had come in, and, although Robert did not knowit, they had reported that the force of St. Luc, advancing in a wide curve,and now including the western band, was very near. It was the burden oftheir testimony, too, that he now had at least a thousand men, of whomone-third were French or Canadians.
Tayoga was sitting on a high point of the cliff, watching the lake, andRobert joined him. The face of the young Onondaga was very grave.
"You look for an early battle, I suppose," said Robert.
"Yes, Dagaeoga," replied his comrade, "and it will be fought with the oddsheavily against us. I think the Mountain Wolf should not have awaited SharpSword here, but who am I to give advice to a leader, so able and with somuch experience?"
"But we beat St. Luc once in a battle by a lake!"
"Then we had a fleet, and, for the time, at least, we won command of thelake. Now the enemy is supreme on Oneadatote. If we have any canoes on itshundred and twenty-five miles of length they are lone and scattered, andthey stay in hiding near its shores."
"Why are you watching its waters now so intently, Tayoga?"
"To see the sentinels of the foe, when they come down from the north. SharpSword is too great a general not to use all of his advantages in battle. Hewill advance by water as well as by land, but, first he will use his eyes,before he permits his hand to strike. Do you see anything far up the lake,Dagaeoga?"
"Only the sunlight on the waters."
"Yes, that is all. I believed, for a moment or two, that I saw a black dotthere, but it was only my fancy creating what I expected my sight tobehold. Let us look again all around the horizon, where it touches thewater, following it as we would a line. Ah, I think I see a dark speck,just a black mote at this distance, and I am still unable to separate fancyfrom fact, but it may be fact. What do you think, Dagaeoga?"
"My thought has not taken shape yet, Tayoga, but if 'tis fancy then 'tissingularly persistent. I see the black mote too, to the left, toward thewestern shore of the lake, is it not?"
"Aye, Dagaeoga, that is where it is. If we are both the victims of fancythen our illusions are wonderfully alike. Think you that we would imagineexactly the same thing at exactly the same place?"
"No, I don't! And as I live, Tayoga, the mote is growing larger! It takeson the semblance of reality, and, although very far from us, it's my beliefthat it's moving this way!"
"Again my fancy is the same as yours and it is not possible that theyshould continue exactly alike through all changes. That which may have beenfancy in the beginning has most certainly turned into fact, and the blackmote that we see upon the waters is in all probability a hostile canoecoming to spy upon us."
They watched the dark dot detach itself from the horizon and growcontinuously until their eyes told them, beyond the shadow of a doubt, thatit was a canoe containing two warriors. It was moving swiftly and presentlyRogers and Willet came to look at it. The two warriors brought their lightcraft on steadily, but stopped well out of rifle shot, where they l
et theirpaddles rest and gazed long at the shore.
"It is like being without a right arm to have no force upon the lake," saidRogers.
"It cripples us sorely," said Willet. "Perhaps we'd better swallow ourpride, bitter though the medicine may be, and retreat at speed."
"I can't do it," said Rogers. "I'm here to hold back St. Luc, if I can, andmoreover, 'tis too late. We'd be surrounded in the forest and probablyannihilated."
"I suppose you're right. We'll meet him where we stand, and when thebattle is over, whatever may be its fortunes, he'll know that he had a realfight."
They walked away from the lake, and began to arrange their forces to themost advantage, but Robert and Tayoga remained on the cliff. They saw thecanoe go back toward the north, melt into the horizon line, and thenreappear, but with a whole brood of canoes. All of them advanced rapidly,and they stretched into a line half way across the lake. Many were greatwar canoes, containing eight or ten men apiece.
"Now the attack by land is at hand," said Tayoga. "Sharp Sword is sure tosee that his two forces move forward at the same time. Hark!"
They heard the report of a rifle shot in the forest, then another andanother. Willet joined them and said it was the wish of Rogers that theyremain where they were, as a small force was needed at that point toprevent a landing by the Indians. A fire from the lake would undoubtedly beopened upon their flank, but if the warriors could be kept in their canoesit could not become very deadly. Black Rifle came also, and he, Willet,Robert, Tayoga and ten of the rangers lying down behind some trees at theedge of the cliff, watched the water.
The Indian fleet hovered a little while out of rifle shot. Meanwhile thefiring in the forest grew. Bullets from both sides pattered on leaves andbark, and the shouts of besieged and besiegers mingled, but the members ofthe force on the cliff kept their eyes resolutely on the water.
"The canoes are moving again," said Tayoga. "They are coming a littlenearer. I see Frenchmen in some of them and presently they will try tosweep the bank with their rifles."
"Our bullets will carry as far as theirs," said the hunter.
"True, O, Great Bear, and perhaps with surer aim."
In another moment puffs of white smoke appeared in the fleet, which wasswinging forward in a crescent shape, and Robert heard the whine of leadover his head. Then Willet pulled the trigger and a warrior fell from hiscanoe. Black Rifle's bullet sped as true, and several of the rangers alsofound their targets. Yet the fleet pressed the attack. Despite theirlosses, the Indians did not give back, the canoes came closer and closer,many of the warriors dropped into the water behind their vessels and firedfrom hiding, bullets rained around the little band on the cliff, andpresently struck among them. Two of the rangers were slain and two morewere wounded. Robert saw the Frenchmen in the fleet encouraging theIndians, and he knew that their enemies were firing at the smoke made bythe rifles of the defenders. Although he and his comrades were invisible tothe French and Indians in the fleet, the bullets sought them outnevertheless. Wounds were increasing and another of the rangers was killed.Theirs was quickly becoming an extremely hot corner.
But Willet, who commanded at that point, gave no order to retreat. He andall of his men continued to fire as fast as they could reload and take aim.Yet to choose a target became more difficult, as the firing from the fleetmade a great cloud of smoke about it, in which the French and Indians werehidden, or, at best, were but wavering phantoms. Robert's excitedimagination magnified them fivefold, but he had no thought of shirking thebattle, and he crept to the very brink, seeking something at which to firein the clouds of smoke that were steadily growing larger and blacker.
The foes upon the lake fought mostly in silence, save for the crackle oftheir rifles, but Robert became conscious presently of a great shoutingbehind him. In his concentration upon their own combat he had forgotten themain battle; but now he realized that it was being pressed with great furyand upon a half circle from the north and west. He looked back and saw thatthe forest was filled with smoke pierced by innumerable red flashes; therattle of the rifles there made a continuous crash, and then he heard atremendous report, followed by a shout of dismay from the rangers.
"What is it?" he cried. "What is it?"
Willet, who was crouched near him, turned pale, but he replied in a steadyvoice.
"St. Luc has brought a field piece, a twelve-pounder, I think, and they'veopened fire with grape-shot. They'll sweep the whole forest. Who'd havethought it?"
The battle sank for a moment, and then a tremendous yell of triumph camefrom the Indians. Presently, the cannon crashed again, and its deadlycharge of grape took heavy toll of the rangers. Then the lake and themountains gave back the heavy boom of the gun in many echoes, and it waslike the toll of doom. The Indians on both water and shore began to shoutin the utmost fury, and Robert detected the note of triumph in thetremendous volume of sound. His heart went down like lead. Rogers creptback to Willet and the two talked together earnestly.
"The cannon changes everything," said the leader of the rangers. "More thantwenty of my men are dead, and nearly twice as many are wounded. 'Tisapparent they have plenty of grape, and they are sending it like hailthrough the forest. The bushes are no shelter, as it cuts through 'em.Dave, old comrade, what do you think?"
"That St. Luc is about to have his revenge for the defeat we gave him atAndiatarocte. The cannon with its grape turns the scale. They come on withuncommon fury! It seems to me I hear a thousand rifles all together."
St. Luc now pressed the attack from every side save the south. The Frenchand Indians in the fleet redoubled their fire. The twelve-pounder waspushed forward, and, as fast as the expert French gunners could reload it,the terrible charges of grape-shot were sent among the rangers. More wereslain or wounded. The little band of defenders on the high cliffoverlooking the lake at last found their corner too hot for them and werecompelled to join the main force. Then the French and Indians in the fleetlanded with shouts of triumph and rushed upon the Americans.
Robert caught glimpses of other Frenchmen as he faced the forest. Once anepaulet showed behind a bush and then a breadth of tanned face which he wassure belonged to De Courcelles. And so this man who had sought to make himthe victim of a deadly trick was here! And perhaps Jumonville also! Afurious rage seized him and he sought eagerly for a shot at the epaulet,but it disappeared. He crept a little farther forward, hoping for anotherview, and Tayoga noticed his eager, questing gaze.
"What is it, Dagaeoga?" he asked. "Whom do you hate so much?"
"I saw the French Colonel, De Courcelles, and I was seeking to draw a beadon him, but he has gone."
"Perhaps he has, but another takes his place. Look at the clump of bushesdirectly in front of us and you will see a pale blue sleeve which beyond adoubt holds the arm of a French officer. The arm cannot be far away fromthe head and body, which I think we will see in time, if we keep onlooking."
Both watched the bushes with a concentrated gaze and presently the head andshoulders, following the arm, disclosed themselves. Robert raised his rifleand took aim, but as he looked down the sights he saw the face among theleaves, and a shudder shook him. He lowered his rifle.
"What is it, Dagaeoga?" whispered the Onondaga.
"The man I chose for my target," replied Robert, "was not De Courcelles,nor yet Junonville, but that young De Galissonniere, who was so kind to usin Quebec, and whom we met later among the peaks. I was about to pulltrigger, and, if I had done so, I should be sorry all my life."
"Is he still there?"
Robert looked again and De Galissonniere was gone. He felt immense relief.He thought it was war's worst cruelty that it often brought friends face toface in battle.
The French and Indian horde from the lake landed and drove against therangers on the eastern flank with great violence, firing their rifles andmuskets, and then coming on with the tomahawk. The little force of Rogerswas in danger of being enveloped on all sides, and would have beenexterminated had it not been for his val
or and presence of mind, secondedso ably by Willet, Black Rifle and their comrades.
They formed a barrier of living fire, facing in three directions andholding back the shouting horde until the main body of the survivingrangers could gather for retreat. Robert and Tayoga were near Willet, allthe best sharpshooters were there, and never had they fought more valiantlythan on that day.
Robert crouched among the bushes, peering for the faces of his foes, andfiring whenever he could secure a good aim.
"Have you seen Tandakora?" he asked Tayoga.
"No," replied the Onondaga.
"He must be here. He would not miss such a chance."
"He is here."
"But you said you hadn't seen him."
"I have not seen him, but O, Dagaeoga, I have heard him. Did not weobserve when we were in the forest that ear was often to be trusted morethan eye? Listen to the greatest war shout of them all! You can hear itevery minute or two, rising over all the others, superior in volume as itis in ferocity. The voice of the Ojibway is huge, like his figure."
Now, in very truth, Robert did notice the fierce triumphant shout ofTandakora, over and above the yelling of the horde, and it made him shudderagain and again. It was the cry of the man-hunting wolf, enlarged manytimes, and instinct with exultation and ferocity. That terrible cry, risingat regular intervals, dominated the battle in Robert's mind, and he lookedeagerly for the colossal form of the chief that he might send his bulletthrough it, but in vain; the voice was there though his eyes saw nothing atwhich to aim.
Farther and farther back went the rangers, and the youth's heart was filledwith anger and grief. Had they endured so much, had they escaped so manydangers, merely to take part in such a disaster? Unconsciously he began toshout in an effort to encourage those with him, and although he did notknow it, it was a reply to the war cries of Tandakora. The smoke and theodors of the burned gunpowder filled his nostrils and throat, and heatedhis brain. Now and then he would stop his own shouting and listen for thereply of Tandakora. Always it came, the ferocious note of the Ojibwayswelling and rising above the warwhoop of the other Indians.
"Dagaeoga looks for Tandakora," said the Onondaga.
"Truly, yes," replied Robert. "Just now it's my greatest wish in life tofind him with a bullet. I hear his voice almost continuously, but I can'tsee him! I think the smoke hides him."
"No, Dagaeoga, it is not the smoke, it is Areskoui. I know it, because theSun God has whispered it in my ear. You will hear the voice of Tandakoraall through the battle, but you will not see him once."
"Why should your Areskoui protect a man like Tandakora, who deserves death,if anyone ever did?"
"He protects him, today merely, not always. It is understood that I shallmeet Tandakora in the final reckoning. I told him so, when I was hiscaptive, and he struck me in the face. It was no will of mine that made mesay the words, but it was Areskoui directing me to utter them. So, I know,O, my comrade, that Tandakora cannot fall to your rifle now. His time isnot today, but it will come as surely as the sun sets behind the peaks."
Tayoga spoke with such intense earnestness that Robert looked at him, andhis face, seen through the battle smoke, had all the rapt expression of aprophet's. The white youth felt, for the moment at least, with all thedepth of conviction, the words of the red youth would come true. Then thetremendous voice of Tandakora boomed above the firing and yelling, but, asbefore, his body remained invisible. Tandakora's Indians, many of whom hadcome with him from the far shores of the Great Lakes, showed all thecunning and courage that made them so redoubtable in forest warfare. Armedwith good French muskets and rifles they crept forward among the thickets,and poured in an unceasing fire. Encouraged by the success at Oswego, andby the knowledge that the great St. Luc, the best of all the Frenchleaders, was commanding the whole force, their ferocity rose to the highestpitch and it was fed also by the hope that they would destroy all the hatedand dreaded rangers whom they now held in a trap.
Robert had never before seen them attack with so much disregard of wounds,and death. Usually the Indian was a wary fighter, always preferring ambush,and securing every possible advantage for himself, but now they rushedboldly across open spaces, seeking new and nearer coverts. Many fell beforethe bullets of the rangers but the swarms came on, with undiminished zeal,always pushing the battle, and keeping up a fire so heavy that, despite thebullets that went wild, the rangers steadily diminished in numbers.
"It's a powerful attack," said Robert.
"It's because they feel so sure of victory," said Tayoga, "and it's becausethey know it's the Mountain Wolf and his men whom they have surrounded.They would rather destroy a hundred rangers than three hundred troops."
"That's so," said Willet, who overheard them in all the crash of thebattle. "They won't let the opportunity escape. Back a little, lads! Thisplace is becoming too much exposed."
They withdrew into deeper shelter, but they still fired as fast, as theycould reload and pull the trigger. Their bullets, although they rarelymissed, seemed to make no impression on the red horde, which always pressedcloser, and there was a deadly ring of fire around the rangers, made byhundreds of rifles and muskets.
Robert and Tayoga were still without wounds. Leaves and twigs rained aroundthem, and they heard often the song of the bullets, they saw many of therangers fall, but happy fortune kept their own bodies untouched. Robertknew that the battle was a losing one, but he was resolved to hold hisplace with his comrades. Rogers, who had been fighting with undaunted valorand desperation, marshaling his men in vain against numbers greatlysuperior, made his way once more to the side of Willet and crouched withhim in the bushes.
"Dave, my friend," he said, "the battle goes against us."
"So it does," replied the hunter, "but it is no fault of yours or your men.St. Luc, the best of all the French leaders, has forced us into a trap.There is nothing left for us to do now but burst the trap."
"I hate to yield the field."
"But it must be done. It's better to lose a part of the rangers than tolose all. You've had many a narrow escape before. Men will come to yourstandard and you'll have a new band bigger than ever."
The dark face of the ranger captain brightened a little. But he lookedsadly upon his fallen men. He was bleeding himself from two slight wounds,but he paid no attention to them. The need to flee pierced his soul, buthe saw that it must be done, else all the rangers would be destroyed, and,while he still hesitated a moment or two, the silver whistle of St. Luc,urging on a fresh and greater attack, rose above all the sounds of combat.Then he knew that he must wait no longer, and he gave the command forordered flight.
Not more than half of the rangers escaped from that terrible convergingattack. St. Luc's triumph was complete. He had won full revenge for hisdefeat by Andiatarocte, and he pushed the pursuit with so much energy andskill that Rogers bade the surviving rangers scatter in the wilderness toreassemble again, after their fashion, far to the south.
Black Rifle remained with the leader, but Robert, Tayoga and Willetcontinued their flight together, not stopping until night, when they weresafe from pursuit. As the three went southward through the deep forest,they saw many trails that they knew to be those of hostile Indians, andnowhere did they find a sign of a friend. All the wilderness seemed to havebecome the country of the enemy. When they looked once more from the loftyshores upon the vivid waters of George, they beheld canoes, but as theywatched they discovered that they were those of the foe. A terrible fearclutched at their hearts, a fear that Montcalm, like St. Luc, had struckalready.
"The tide of battle has flowed south of us," said Tayoga. "All that we findin the forest proclaims it."
"I would you were not right, Tayoga," said the hunter, "but I fear youare."
They came the next day to the trail of a great army, soldiers and cannon.Night overtook them while they were still near the shores of Lake George,following the road, left by the French and Indian host as it had advancedsouth, and the three, wearied by their long fl
ight, drew back into thedense thickets for rest. The darkness had come on thicker and heavier thanusual, and they were glad of it, as they were well hidden in its duskyfolds, and they wished to rest without apprehension.
They had food with them which they ate, and then they wrapped theirblankets about their bodies, because a wind was coming from the lake, andits touch was damp. Clouds also covered all the skies, and, before long, athin, drizzling rain fell. They would have been cold, and, in time, wet tothe bone, but the blankets were sufficient to protect them.
"Areskoui, after smiling upon us for so long, has now turned his face fromus," said Tayoga.
"What else can you expect?" said the valiant Willet. "It is always so inwar. You're up and then you're down. We were masters of the peaks for awhile, and by our capture of Garay's letter we kept St. Luc from attackingAlbany, but the stars never fight for you all the time. We couldn't doanything that would save the rangers from defeat."
The Onondaga looked up. The others could not see his face, but it wasreverential, and the cold rain that fell upon it had then no chill forhim. Instead it was soothing.
"Tododaho is on his great star beyond the clouds," he said, "and he islooking down on us. We have done wrong or he and Areskoui would not havewithdrawn their favor from us, but we have done it unknowingly, and, intime, they will forgive us. As long as the Onondagas are true to himTododaho will watch over them, although at times he may punish them."
That Tododaho was protecting them even then was proved conclusively toTayoga before the night was over. A great war party passed within a hundredyards of them, going swiftly southward, but the three, swathed in theirblankets, and, hidden in the dark thickets, had no fear. They were merelythree motes in the wilderness and the warriors did not dream that they werenear. When the last sound of their marching had sunk into nothingness,Tayoga said:
"It was not the will of Tododaho that they should suspect our presence, butI fear that they go to a triumph."
They rose from the thicket early the following morning, and resumed theirflight, but it soon came to a halt, when the Onondaga pointed to a trail inthe forest, made apparently by about twenty warriors. The hawk eye ofTayoga, however, picked out one trace among them which all three knew wasmade by a white man.
"I know, too," said the red youth, "the white man who made it."
"Tell us his name," said the hunter, who had full confidence in thewonderful powers of the Onondaga.
"It is the Frenchman, Langlade, who held Dagaeoga a prisoner in his villageso long. I know his traces, because I followed them before. His foot isvery small, and it has been less than an hour since he passed here. Theyare ahead of us, directly in our path."
"What do you think we ought to do, Dave?" asked Robert, anxiously. "Youknow we want to go south as fast as we can."
"We must try to go around Langlade," replied Willet. "It's true, we'll losetime, but it's better to lose time and be late a little than to lose ourlives and never get there at all."
"The Great Bear is a very wise man," said Tayoga.
They made at once a sharp curve toward the east, but just when they thoughtthey were passing parallel with Langlade's band, they were fired upon froma thicket, the bullet singing by Robert's ear. The three took cover in thebushes, and a long and trying combat of sharpshooters took place. Twowarriors were slain and both Willet and Tayoga were grazed by the Indianfire, but they were not hurt. Robert once caught sight of Langlade, and hemight have dropped the partisan with his bullet, but his heart held hishand. Langlade had shown him many a kindness, during his long captivityand, although he was a fierce enemy now, the lad was not one to forget. Ashe had spared De Galissonniere, so would he spare Langlade, and, in amoment or two, the Frenchman was gone from his sight.
Another dark and rainy night came, and, protected by it, they crept insilence past the partisan's band soon leaving this new danger far behindthem. Tayoga was very grateful, and accepted their escape as a sign.
"While Manitou, who rules all things, has decreed that we must suffer muchbefore victory," he said, "yet, as I see it, he has decreed also that wethree shall not fall, else why does he spread so many dangers before us,and then take us safely through them?"
"It looks the same way to me," said Willet. "The dark and rainy night thathe sent enabled us to pass by Langlade and his band."
"A second black night following a first," said Tayoga, devoutly. "I do notdoubt that it was sent for our benefit by Manitou, who is lord even overTododaho and Areskoui."
They made good speed near the shores of Andiatarocte and now and then theycaught glimpses once more through the heavy green foliage of the lake'sglittering waters. But they saw anew the canoes of the French and Indiansupon its surface, and they realized with increasing force thatAndiatarocte, so vital in the great struggle, belonged, for the time atleast, to their enemies. Yet the three themselves were favored. The rainceased, a warm wind out of the south dried the forest, and their flightbecame easy. A fat deer stood in their path and fairly asked to be shot,furnishing them all the food they might need for days to come, and theywere able to dress and prepare it at their leisure.
"It is clear, as I have already surmised and stated," said Tayoga in hisprecise language, "that the frown of Manitou is not for us three. The wayopens before us, and we shall rejoin our friends."
"If we have any friends left," said the hunter. "I fear greatly, Tayoga,that Montcalm will have struck before we arrive. He has a powerful forcewith plenty of cannon, and we know he acts with decision and speed."
"He has struck already and he has struck terribly," said Tayoga with greatgravity.
"How do you know that?" asked Robert, startled.
"I do not know it because of anything that has been told to me in words,"replied the Onondaga, "but O, Dagaeoga, the mind, which is often morepotent than eye or ear, as I have told you so many times, is now warningme. We know that our people farther south have been in disagreement. Thegovernors of the provinces have not acted together. Everyone is of his ownmind, and no two minds are alike. No effort was made to profit by the greatvictory last year on the shores of Andiatarocte. Waraiyageh, sore in bodyand mind, rests at home, so it is not possible that our people have beenready and vigorous."
"While the French and Indians are all that we are not?"
"Even so. Montcalm advances with great speed, and knows precisely what heintends to do. He has had plenty of time to reach our forts below. Hisforce is overwhelming, though more so in preparation and decision, than innumbers. He has had time to strike, and being Montcalm, therefore he hasstruck. There is no chance of error, O, Dagaeoga and Great Bear, when Itell you a heavy blow has fallen upon us."
"I don't want to believe you, Tayoga," said the hunter, "but I do. Theconclusion seems inevitable to me."
"I'm hoping when hope's but faint," said Robert.
They swung again into the great trail, left by the army of Montcalm, or atleast a part of it, and the Onondaga and the hunter told its tale withprecision.
"Here passed the cannon," said Tayoga. "I judge by the size of the ruts thewheels made that a battery of twelve pounders went this way. What do yousay, Great Bear?"
"You're right, of course, Tayoga, and there were eight guns in the battery;a child could tell their number. They had other batteries too."
"And the wooden walls of our forts wouldn't stand much chance against acontinuous fire of twelve and eighteen pounders," said Robert.
"No," said Willet. "The forts could be saved only by enterprising andskillful commanders who would drive away the batteries."
"Here went the warriors," said Tayoga. "They were on the outer edges of thegreat trail, walking lightly, according to their custom. See the traces ofthe moccasins, scores and scores of them. We will come very soon to a placewhere the whole army camped for the night. How do I know, O, Dagaeoga?Because numerous trails are coming in from the forest and converging uponone point. They do that because it is time to gather for food and thenight's rest. Some of the warriors
went into the forest to hunt game, andthey found it, too. Look at the drops of blood, still faintly showing onthe grass, leading here, and here, and here into the main trail, drops thatfell from the deer they had slain. Also they shot birds. Behold feathershanging on the bushes, blown there by the wind, which proves that the siteof their camp is very near, as I said."
"It's just over the hill in that wide, shallow valley," said Willet.
They entered the valley which had been marked by the departed army withsigns as clear as the print of a book for the Onondaga and the hunter toread.
"Here at the northern end of the valley is where the warriors cooked andate the deer they had slain," said Tayoga. "The bones are scattered allabout, and we see the ashes of their fires, but they kept mostly tothemselves, because few footprints of white men lead to the place they setaside as their own. Just beyond them the cannon were parked. All this isvery simple. An Onondaga child eight years old could read what is writtenin this camp. Here are the impressions made by the cannon wheels, and justbeside them the artillery horses were tethered, as the numerous hoofprintsshow."
"And here, I imagine," said Robert, who had walked on, "the Marquis deMontcalm and his lieutenants spent the night. Tents were pitched for them.You can see the holes left by the pegs."
"Spoken truly, O, Dagaeoga. You are using eye and mind, and lo! you areshowing once more the beginnings of wisdom. Four tents were pitched. Therest of the army slept in the open. Montcalm and his lieutenantsthemselves would have done so, but the setting up of the tents inspiredrespect in the warriors and even in the troops. The French leaders havemind and they profit by it. They neglect no precaution, no detail toincrease their prestige and maintain their authority."
"It is so, Tayoga," said Willet, "and I can wish that our own officerswould do the same. The French are marvelously expert in dealing withIndians. They can handle them all, except the Hodenosaunee. But don't youthink they held a short council here by this log, after they had eatentheir suppers?"
"It cannot be doubted, Great Bear. Montcalm and his captains sat on thelog. The Indian chiefs sat in a half circle before it, and they smoked apipe. See, the traces of the ashes on the grass. They were planning theattack upon the fort. It is bound to be William Henry, because the trailleads in that direction."
"And these marks on the log, Tayoga, show that there was some indecision,at first, and much talking. Two or three of the French officers had theirhunting knives in their hands, and they carved nervously at the log, justas a man will often whittle as he argues."
"Well stated, O, Great Bear. After the conference, the chiefs went back insingle file to their own part of the camp. Here goes their trail, and youcan nearly fancy that all stepped exactly in the footprints of the first."
"The straight, decisive line proves too, Tayoga, that the plan wascompleted and everything ready for the attack. The chiefs would not havegone away in such a manner if they had not been satisfied."
"Well stated again, Great Bear. The Marquis de Montcalm also went directlyback to his tent. See, where the boot heels pressed."
"But you have no way of knowing," said Robert, "that the traces of bootheels indicate the Marquis."
"O, Dagaeoga, after all my teaching, you forget again that mind can seewhere the eye cannot. Train the mind! Train the mind, and you will get muchprofit from it. The traces of these boot heels lead directly to the placewhere the largest tent stood. We know it was the largest, because the holesleft by the tent pegs are farthest apart. And we know it belonged to theMarquis de Montcalm, because, always having that keen eye for effect, theFrench Commander-in-Chief would have no tent but the largest."
"True as Gospel, Tayoga," said the hunter, "and the French officersthemselves had a little conference in the tent of the Marquis, after theyhad finished with the Indian chiefs. Here, within the square made by thepegs, are the prints of many boot heels and they were not all made by theMarquis, since they are of different sizes. Probably they were completingsome plans in regard to the artillery, since the warriors would havenothing to do with the big guns. Here are ashes, too, in the corner nearone of the pegs. I think it likely that the Marquis smoked a thoughtfulpipe after all the others had gone."
"Aye, Dave," said Robert, "and he had much to think about. The officersfrom Europe find things tremendously changed when they come from theiropen fields into this mighty wilderness. We know what happened to Braddock,because we saw it, and we had a part in it. I can understand his mistake.How could a soldier from Europe read the signs of the forest, signs that hehad never seen before, and foresee the ambush?"
"He couldn't, Robert, lad, but while countries change in character menthemselves don't. Braddock was brave, but he should have remembered that hewas not in Europe. The Marquis de Montcalm remembers it. He made no mistakeat Oswego and he is making none here. He took the Indian chiefs intocouncil, as we have just seen. He placates them, he humors their whims, andhe draws out of them their full fighting power to be used for the Frenchcause."
Tayoga ranged about the shallow valley a little, and announced that thewhole force had gone on together the morning after the encampment.
"The artillery and the infantry were in close ranks," he said, "and thewarriors were on either flank, scouting in the forest, forming a fringewhich kept off possible scouts of the English and Americans. There was nochance of a surprise attack which would cut up the forces of Montcalm andimpede his advance."
Willet sighed.
"The Marquis, although he may not have known it," he said, "was in nodanger from such an enterprise. We have read the signs too well, Tayoga.Our own people have been lying in their forts, weak of will, waiting todefend themselves, while the French and their allies have had all thewilderness to range over, and in which they might do as they pleased. It iseasy to see where the advantage lies."
"And we shall soon learn what has happened," said Tayoga, gravely.
The next morning they met an American scout who told them the terrible newsof the capture of Fort William Henry, with its entire garrison, byMontcalm, and the slaughter afterward of many of the prisoners by theIndians.
Robert was appalled.
"Is Lake George to remain our only victory?" he exclaimed.
"It's better to have a bad beginning and a good ending than a goodbeginning and a bad ending," said the scout.
"Remember," said Tayoga, "how Areskoui watched over us, when we were amongthe peaks. As he watched over us then so later on he will watch over ourcause."
"It was only for a moment that I felt despair," said Robert. "It is certainthat victory always comes to those who know how to work and wait."
Courage rose anew in their hearts, and once more they sped southward,resolved to make greater efforts than any that had gone before.
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